Nordine Quadar | Cybersecurity | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Nordine Quadar | Cybersecurity | Best Researcher Award

Researcher, Royal Military College of Canada, Canada

🎓 Nordine Quadar, P.Eng, is a dedicated technical manager, researcher, and educator based in Montreal, Canada. With a strong foundation in engineering and advanced expertise in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, he specializes in leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance the security of UAV systems. Passionate about teaching, he has guided students through complex subjects and contributed significantly to the fields of smart grids, IoT, and machine learning.

Publication Profile

Google Scholar

Education

📚 Nordine Quadar holds a PhD in Computer Science (in progress, 2022–2025) from the Royal Military College of Canada, supervised by Abdellah Chehri, focusing on UAV cybersecurity using Edge AI. He earned a Master of Applied Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering (2015–2018) from the University of Ottawa under the supervision of Claude D’Amours, with a thesis on spatial modulation for MIMO-CDMA systems. He also completed his Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering (2011–2014) at the University of Ottawa.

Experience

💼 Technical Expertise defines Nordine’s career. As a teaching assistant at the University of Ottawa (2015–2017), he facilitated labs, study groups, and lecture preparations for courses like computer networks, applied electromagnetism, and computer architecture. His role demonstrated his commitment to nurturing student success and understanding.

Research Interests

🔍 Nordine’s research interests center on cybersecurity, AI-powered intrusion detection systems, digital twins for smart grids, and IoT testbeds. He explores emerging technologies to solve real-world challenges, combining theoretical innovation with practical applications.

Awards

🏆 Nordine has earned recognition for his impactful contributions to engineering and research, highlighting his commitment to excellence in academia and technical leadership.

Publications

N. Mchirgui, N. Quadar, et al. The Applications and Challenges of Digital Twin Technology in Smart Grids: A Comprehensive Review. Applied Sciences, 2024. DOI:10.3390/app142310933

N. Quadar, A. Chehri, et al. Intrusion Detection Systems in Automotive Ethernet Networks: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Research Trends. IEEE Internet of Things Magazine, 2024, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 62–68.

N. Quadar, M. Rahouti, et al. IoT-AI/Machine Learning Experimental Testbeds: The Missing Piece. IEEE Internet of Things Magazine, 2024, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 136–143.

N. Quadar, H. Chaibi, et al. Recommendation Systems: Models, Techniques, Application Fields and Ethical Challenges. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Big Data and Internet of Things (BDIoT ’24), 2024.

 

 

Murad Njoum | CyberSecurity | Cybersecurity Achievement Award

Dr. Murad Njoum | CyberSecurity | Cybersecurity Achievement Award

Lecturer, BirZeit University, Palestine, State of

📘 Murad Subhi Njoum is a dedicated lecturer in the Computer Science Department at Birzeit University, known for his expertise in data structures, Java programming, and cybersecurity. With over a decade of teaching experience, he has developed courses that engage students in programming and foundational computer science concepts. Murad is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science at UKM, Malaysia, where he specializes in the field of steganography within cybersecurity, having published several papers that contribute to advancements in data security.

Publication Profile

Google Scholar

Education:

🎓 Murad holds a Master’s degree in Scientific Computing with a focus on Computer Science, graduating with distinction. His academic journey continues as a Ph.D. candidate at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia, where he expands his research on steganography and data security.

Experience:

👨‍🏫 With over ten years of teaching experience, Murad has instructed courses in data structures, Java programming, and cybersecurity, and has provided foundational knowledge in Linux, C programming, and introductory computer science. His role at Birzeit University allows him to contribute to the academic growth of his students while fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Research Focus:

🔍 Murad’s primary research focus lies in steganography within cybersecurity, exploring innovative techniques for enhancing data security. His ongoing research aims to develop new methods that improve the reliability and security of steganographic techniques, contributing to the broader field of secure information technology.

Awards and Honors:

🏆 Throughout his career, Murad has achieved significant recognition in the academic field, notably for his contributions to cybersecurity and education. He continues to strive for excellence in both research and teaching.

Publication Top Notes:

“Steganographic Techniques in Secure Data Transmission,” Journal of Information Security, 2021, focusing on improved data concealment methodologies. Cited by various articles in the field for its technical advancement in data security.

“Applications of Steganography in Cybersecurity,” Cybersecurity Journal, 2022, discussing practical implementations of steganography for enhanced data protection. Recognized widely for its relevance to practical applications in secure data handling.

“Innovations in Data Concealment Using Steganographic Methods,” Security and Data Privacy, 2023, detailing advancements in steganography. Cited frequently for its contributions to modern steganographic applications and data privacy measures.

 

Jiang Zhou | Data Security | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Jiang Zhou | Data Security | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor, Institute of Information Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

👨‍🏫 Dr. Jiang Zhou is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Information Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. from the same institution in 2014 and was a visiting scholar at Texas Tech University from 2015 to 2018. Dr. Zhou’s research focuses on data storage security, privacy computing, and distributed computing, with over 40 publications and numerous contributions to high-performance computing. He actively contributes to several major research projects and serves as a reviewer for leading journals. Dr. Zhou is a member of the IEEE and CCF.

Publication Profile

Google Scholar

Strengths for the Award:

  1. Prolific Publication Record: Jiang Zhou has published over 40 papers in prestigious journals and conferences, with 10 journal publications, 5 of which are SCI-indexed. This demonstrates a solid research foundation, especially in the field of data storage security and privacy computing.
  2. Strong Research Impact: His h-index of 11, with 193 citations since 2019 and a total of 271 citations, showcases the relevance and influence of his research in the academic community.
  3. Project Leadership: He has led significant projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighting his ability to secure and manage high-profile research initiatives.
  4. Innovative Contributions: His work on developing distributed file systems (CFS), data distribution algorithms (SUORA and PRS), secure cloud storage systems, and insider threat detection methods like Log2Graph and LAAEB has direct practical implications, especially in enhancing data security for large organizations like China Mobile.
  5. International Collaboration: His collaboration with Prof. Yong Chen at Texas Tech University, along with his role as a visiting scholar, indicates his global research engagement and his ability to contribute to international projects on data-intensive scalable computing.
  6. Industry Relevance: His research has applications in industry, particularly through projects such as secure cloud storage systems and insider threat detection used by China Mobile, which further amplifies the real-world impact of his work.
  7. Professional Involvement: As an active member of the IEEE and CCF and a reviewer for high-impact journals such as TPDS, TC, and TOS, Zhou is well-integrated within the academic and professional communities, further supporting his candidacy.

Areas for Improvement:

  1. Broader Impact and Outreach: While Zhou has made notable technical contributions, greater emphasis on community outreach or public dissemination of research might improve his profile for broader recognition. Engaging more in public talks, conferences, or workshops would further solidify his reputation as a leader in his field.
  2. Patents and Consultancy: Although he has 2 patents published or in progress, focusing more on technology transfer, commercialization of his innovations, or further collaboration with industry could enhance the practical applications of his research. He currently has limited consultancy or industry collaborations beyond academia.
  3. Cross-disciplinary Work: Expanding his research into adjacent fields such as AI or machine learning, and exploring interdisciplinary collaborations could position him more strongly as a cutting-edge researcher.

 

Education

🎓 Jiang Zhou received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2014. His academic journey includes a visiting scholar stint at Texas Tech University, where he contributed to large-scale projects on high-performance computing and data storage. His strong educational foundation has been pivotal in driving forward his research in data security and distributed systems.

Experience

💼 Dr. Zhou holds the position of Associate Professor at the Institute of Information Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His academic career is marked by extensive involvement in cutting-edge research, particularly in data security and storage. From 2015 to 2018, he served as a visiting scholar at Texas Tech University, where he collaborated on several key projects related to scalable computing instruments for high-performance computing. He has led significant national research initiatives, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Research Focus

🔬 Dr. Zhou’s research interests lie in file and storage systems, data security, parallel computing, and insider threat detection. He has made impactful contributions in optimizing I/O operations, enhancing metadata services, and improving data availability and security in large-scale distributed systems. His work has introduced innovative data distribution algorithms and insider threat detection techniques that are widely recognized in the computing community.

Awards and Honors

🏆 Throughout his academic career, Dr. Zhou has been recognized for his contributions to data storage and security. He has successfully led several national research projects and collaborated on international initiatives. His research output has earned him an esteemed reputation in the field, particularly with regard to his contributions to distributed computing and storage optimization.

Publications Top Notes

📚 Dr. Zhou has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers, including highly cited works in renowned journals such as TPDS, TC, and TSC. His top 5 SCI-indexed publications include groundbreaking research on distributed file systems, insider threat detection, and data security. His work is consistently cited, with over 271 citations to date. Below are some of his notable publications:

“Secure Data Distribution in Heterogeneous Storage Systems” (2023) – IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC), cited by 10 articles. Link

“Insider Threat Detection Using Log2Graph” (2022) – Journal of Computer Security (JCS), cited by 15 articles. Link

“High-Performance Distributed Metadata Services on Hadoop” (2021) – IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems (TPDS), cited by 20 articles. Link

“PRIME: A Scalable Data Management System for Cloud” (2020) – Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing (JPDC), cited by 12 articles. Link

“Confidential Computing: Challenges and Solutions” (2019) – Computer & Security (COSE), cited by 18 articles. Link

Conclusion:

Jiang Zhou is a highly qualified candidate for the Best Researcher Award, given his strong academic contributions, leadership in impactful projects, and tangible real-world applications of his research. His innovations in data storage security, distributed systems, and insider threat detection make him an exceptional contender. Focusing more on cross-disciplinary work, commercialization, and outreach could enhance his profile even further, but overall, his current achievements are commendable and align well with the expectations of a Best Researcher Award recipient.